New CEO for Ministry of Women Community and Social Development Appointed

9 March 2022, Apia Samoa. Cabinet has appointed Dr Mema Motusaga to the position of Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD). Dr Motusaga returns to the Ministry, where she had previously worked for six years as a Samoa Gender Programme Management Specialist.

Dr Motusaga’s doctrate from Victoria University in Melbourne Australia, is focused on gender studies and community development. The former Youth and Social Inclusion Advisor with the Pacific Community (SPC) is a researcher in the areas of social development issues, gender equality and gender disparities, disability, youth development, good governance, climate change and culture. She is a published author with publications on Women in Decision Making in Samoa, the Samoa Election of 2021 and Youth in Decision Making.

Although the selection process articulated by the 2004 PSC Act was completed some months back, Cabinet had deferred deliberation of the recommendation forwarded by the Selection Panel to await the return of the MWCSD Minister from overseas.

Hailing from Saleilua Falealili, Dr Motusaga is an experienced Program Management Specialist, Gender Specialist, Youth and Social Inclusion Specialist, and a Human Rights advocate with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry.

She brings a wealth of experience with over 20 years of professional services, largely working as a social and community development practitioner mainly in Samoa and the Pacific region.

She is joining the MWCSD after serving the Pacific region as the Adviser for Youth and Social Inclusion within the Human Rights and Social Development Programme of the Pacific Community (SPC – Fiji). Prior to that she served the Government of Samoa through senior leadership positions with the National University of Samoa (Senior Lecturer Gender and Development Studies: Centre of Samoan Studies & Senior Lecturer Management Courses: Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship), Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development Programme (Samoa Gender Management Specialist) and the
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

Dr. Motusaga has worked on a wide range of substantive areas, including youth and sports
development, language and culture development, gender equality, violence against women, women’s economic empowerment, and women in leadership, project management, human rights, education and good governance.